The Right Kind of Eye Contact

Wed, May 16th, 2018

Whenever I’m attending a meeting, I’m very conscious about making sure to provide eye contact with all the individuals present. However, I am amazed and, frankly, a bit self-conscious when someone—usually a man—will focus on me in a meeting, rather than sharing his attent
ion between me and a woman who is also part of the conversation.
I just participated in one such meeting and it was quite uncomfortable. And this week, I traveled to Dubai and had an opportunity to scan a copy of the Financial Times that featured an article addressing this very issue. The author, a woman, shared her observations that when she asks a question to a group of men, typically one of them often directs his answer to one of the other men.

She calls this the “Manswer.” This subliminal form of discrimination can be quite uncomfortable for a woman, and for the guy who gets all the visual love. So, when you’re in a meeting, wake up and be considerate and engaging with everyone in attendance by driving quality eye contact